Mark Petersen, MD

My research centers on vascular mechanisms of neurological disease with a particular focus on neonatal brain injury. Blood vessels become damaged in the injured or diseased brain which allows proteins from the blood to leak into the nervous system. My work seeks to identify new therapies for neurological diseases by targeting toxic blood proteins and inflammatory signals at the blood-brain interface that block normal brain development and repair. To achieve this goal, our group has developed a multifaceted research program incorporating basic science studies of stem cells and animal models with translational studies of human tissue and blood biomarkers.

We have discovered critical links between blood coagulation, inflammation, and stem cell dysfunction in neurological disease. The nervous system has long been defined by its limited capacity for regeneration which results in persistent neurological deficits after nervous system damage. Stem cells are abundant in the brain, but why these stem cells are unable to fully restore neural tissue after injury has remained a mystery. We found that the blood clotting protein fibrinogen causes inflammation in the brain and blocks stem cells from becoming mature, myelin-repairing cells. We are now designing therapies to overcome the inhibitory environment in the damaged nervous system to promote regeneration and normal brain development.

Through collaborations with the UCSF Preterm Birth Initiative and UCSF Newborn Brain Research Institute, we are also extending our studies to explore how maternal inflammation and coagulation contribute to preterm birth and poor neonatal outcomes. By combining large population datasets with state-of-the-art multiplex and proteomic approaches to measure blood biomarkers, we hope to identify druggable pathways at the maternal-fetal interface that can be targeted to prevent or lessen the impact of preterm birth and neonatal brain injury.
Education
Fellowship, 2013 - Neonatology, University of California San Francisco
Residency, 2009 - Pediatrics, Stanford University / Lucile Packard Children's Hospital
M.D., 2005 - Medicine, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
B.S., 2001 - Biology, University of Iowa
Honors and Awards
  • Mentored Scientist Award for Scientific Excellence in Neuroscience, Gladstone Institutes, 2018
  • Nomination for Fellow Teaching Award, University of California San Francisco Residency Program, 2011
  • Honor Roll for Teaching, Stanford University School of Medicine, 2007-2009
  • Letter of Distinction for Teaching, Stanford University School of Medicine, 2007-2008
  • Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, 2005
  • Pediatric Faculty Award for Outstanding Performance in Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, 2005
  • W.R. Ingram Award for Superior Achievement in Medical Neuroscience, Univerisity of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, 2003
  • Highest Distinction and Honors in Biology, University of Iowa, 2001
  • Robbie Prize for Excellence in Biological Research, University of Iowa, 2001

  1. Jain S, Oltman S, Rogers E, Ryckman K, Petersen M, Baer RJ, Rand L, Piao X, Jelliffe-Pawlowski L. Assessing for prenatal risk factors associated with infant neurologic morbidity using a multivariate analysis. Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association 2023. PMID: 37950045


  2. Petersen MA, Tognatta R, Meyer-Franke A, Bushong EA, Mendiola AS, Yan Z, Muthusamy A, Merlini M, Meza-Acevedo R, Cabriga B, Zhou Y, Thomas R, Ryu JK, Lassmann H, Ellisman MH, Akassoglou K. BMP receptor blockade overcomes extrinsic inhibition of remyelination and restores neurovascular homeostasis. Brain : a journal of neurology 2021. PMID: 34426831


  3. Karvonen KL, Baer RJ, Rogers EE, Steurer MA, Ryckman KK, Feuer SK, Anderson JG, Franck LS, Gano D, Petersen MA, Oltman SP, Chambers BD, Neuhaus J, Rand L, Jelliffe-Pawlowski LL, Pantell MS. Correction: Racial and ethnic disparities in outcomes through 1 year of life in infants born prematurely: a population based study in California. Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association 2021. PMID: 33782533


  4. Karvonen KL, Baer RJ, Rogers EE, Steurer MA, Ryckman KK, Feuer SK, Anderson JG, Franck LS, Gano D, Petersen MA, Oltman SP, Chambers BD, Neuhaus J, Rand L, Jelliffe-Pawlowski LL, Pantell MS. Racial and ethnic disparities in outcomes through 1 year of life in infants born prematurely: a population based study in California. Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association 2021. PMID: 33514879


  5. Merlini M, Rafalski VA, Ma K, Kim KY, Bushong EA, Rios Coronado PE, Yan Z, Mendiola AS, Sozmen EG, Ryu JK, Haberl MG, Madany M, Sampson DN, Petersen MA, Bardehle S, Tognatta R, Dean T, Acevedo RM, Cabriga B, Thomas R, Coughlin SR, Ellisman MH, Palop JJ, Akassoglou K. Microglial Gi-dependent dynamics regulate brain network hyperexcitability. Nature neuroscience 2020. PMID: 33318667


  6. Oltman SP, Rogers EE, Baer RJ, Jasper EA, Anderson JG, Steurer MA, Pantell MS, Petersen MA, Partridge JC, Karasek D, Ross KM, Feuer SK, Franck LS, Rand L, Dagle JM, Ryckman KK, Jelliffe-Pawlowski LL. Newborn metabolic vulnerability profile identifies preterm infants at risk for mortality and morbidity. Pediatric research 2020. PMID: 33003189


  7. Mendiola AS, Ryu JK, Bardehle S, Meyer-Franke A, Ang KK, Wilson C, Baeten KM, Hanspers K, Merlini M, Thomas S, Petersen MA, Williams A, Thomas R, Rafalski VA, Meza-Acevedo R, Tognatta R, Yan Z, Pfaff SJ, Machado MR, Bedard C, Coronado PER, Jiang X, Wang J, Pleiss MA, Green AJ, Zamvil SS, Pico AR, Bruneau BG, Arkin MR, Akassoglou K. Author Correction: Transcriptional profiling and therapeutic targeting of oxidative stress in neuroinflammation. Nature immunology 2020. PMID: 32661365


  8. Mendiola AS, Ryu JK, Bardehle S, Meyer-Franke A, Ang KK, Wilson C, Baeten KM, Hanspers K, Merlini M, Thomas S, Petersen MA, Williams A, Thomas R, Rafalski VA, Meza-Acevedo R, Tognatta R, Yan Z, Pfaff SJ, Machado MR, Bedard C, Rios Coronado PE, Jiang X, Wang J, Pleiss MA, Green AJ, Zamvil SS, Pico AR, Bruneau BG, Arkin MR, Akassoglou K. Transcriptional profiling and therapeutic targeting of oxidative stress in neuroinflammation. Nature immunology 2020. PMID: 32284594


  9. Katerina Akassoglou, Reshmi Tognatta, Mark Petersen. Neurovascular interactions: Mechanisms, imaging, and therapeutics. IBRO Reports 2019. PMID:


  10. Ryu JK, Rafalski VA, Meyer-Franke A, Adams RA, Poda SB, Rios Coronado PE, Pedersen LØ, Menon V, Baeten KM, Sikorski SL, Bedard C, Hanspers K, Bardehle S, Mendiola AS, Davalos D, Machado MR, Chan JP, Plastira I, Petersen MA, Pfaff SJ, Ang KK, Hallenbeck KK, Syme C, Hakozaki H, Ellisman MH, Swanson RA, Zamvil SS, Arkin MR, Zorn SH, Pico AR, Mucke L, Freedman SB, Stavenhagen JB, Nelson RB, Akassoglou K. Fibrin-targeting immunotherapy protects against neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Nature immunology 2018. PMID: 30323343


  11. Lee NJ, Ha SK, Sati P, Absinta M, Luciano NJ, Lefeuvre JA, Schindler MK, Leibovitch EC, Ryu JK, Petersen MA, Silva AC, Jacobson S, Akassoglou K, Reich DS. Spatiotemporal distribution of fibrinogen in marmoset and human inflammatory demyelination. Brain : a journal of neurology 2018. PMID: 29688408


  12. Petersen MA, Ryu JK, Akassoglou K. Fibrinogen in neurological diseases: mechanisms, imaging and therapeutics. Nature reviews. Neuroscience 2018. PMID: 29618808


  13. Petersen MA, Ryu JK, Chang KJ, Etxeberria A, Bardehle S, Mendiola AS, Kamau-Devers W, Fancy SPJ, Thor A, Bushong EA, Baeza-Raja B, Syme CA, Wu MD, Rios Coronado PE, Meyer-Franke A, Yahn S, Pous L, Lee JK, Schachtrup C, Lassmann H, Huang EJ, Han MH, Absinta M, Reich DS, Ellisman MH, Rowitch DH, Chan JR, Akassoglou K. Fibrinogen Activates BMP Signaling in Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cells and Inhibits Remyelination after Vascular Damage. Neuron 2017. PMID: 29103804


  14. Ryu JK, Petersen MA, Murray SG, Baeten KM, Meyer-Franke A, Chan JP, Vagena E, Bedard C, Machado MR, Rios Coronado PE, Prod'homme T, Charo IF, Lassmann H, Degen JL, Zamvil SS, Akassoglou K. Blood coagulation protein fibrinogen promotes autoimmunity and demyelination via chemokine release and antigen presentation. Nature communications 2015. PMID: 26353940


  15. Davalos D, Baeten KM, Whitney MA, Mullins ES, Friedman B, Olson ES, Ryu JK, Smirnoff DS, Petersen MA, Bedard C, Degen JL, Tsien RY, Akassoglou K. Early detection of thrombin activity in neuroinflammatory disease. Annals of neurology 2014. PMID: 24740641


  16. Jae Kyu Ryu, Kim M. Baeten, Mark A. Petersen, Sara G. Murray, Anke Meyer-Franke, Dimitrios Davalos, Catherine Bedard, Thomas Prod’homme, Israel F. Charo, Hans Lassmann, Jay L. Degen, Scott S. Zamvil, Katerina Akassoglou. 220 Fibrinogen/CR3 signaling induces demyelination by promoting Th1 cell differentiation and peripheral macrophage recruitment into the CNS. Cytokine 2013. PMID:


  17. Davalos D, Ryu JK, Merlini M, Baeten KM, Le Moan N, Petersen MA, Deerinck TJ, Smirnoff DS, Bedard C, Hakozaki H, Gonias Murray S, Ling JB, Lassmann H, Degen JL, Ellisman MH, Akassoglou K. Fibrinogen-induced perivascular microglial clustering is required for the development of axonal damage in neuroinflammation. Nature communications 2012. PMID: 23187627


  18. Petersen MA, Dailey ME. Diverse microglial motility behaviors during clearance of dead cells in hippocampal slices. Glia 2004. PMID: 15042586